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The attempt to debunk polls is in many ways the logical, if absurd, outgrowth of a choose-your-own-adventure political news environment where partisans have outlets that will echo their views.

“It’s ‘you-are-right’ news,” sighed longtime Republican strategist Mike Murphy, adding that if it was Democrats losing liberals would be baying about “Rupert [Murdoch] doing mind control on the numbers.”

But it’s one thing to advocate for a preferred party and portray the other in the worst possible light. Questioning the integrity of professional pollsters is something different: It’s preposterous.

Consider: For the vast polling conspiracy of 2012 to be legitimate would be to presume that longtime GOP pollster Bill McInturff is on the deal. McInturff co-runs the respected Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll with veteran Democratic pollster Peter Hart.

McInturff is also business partners with Neil Newhouse, Romney’s own pollster. So, by this standard, Romney’s own campaign could also be part of the conspiracy to … hurt the Romney campaign.

Of course, there’s no such motivation on the part of any pollster hired by mainstream news organizations to gauge public opinion.

“The Prime Directive of pollster survival is to make sure you ‘get it right’ — whether that be good or bad — for your party,” McInturff explained in an e-mail.

There are legitimate discussions in the political community about the partisan breakdown of the recent public polls and whether pollsters should begin to weight data with party preference.

But the recent results that have sparked this wave of conspiracy-mongering are due not to intentional rigging but to the different ways surveys are now conducted.

“Polling has become very complex, with most variation between different pollsters a function of the sample — what percentage of respondents are cell phone only, what percent are 18 to 29 years old or the total percent under or over 45 years old, and the percentage of white versus non-white respondents,” noted McInturff.

For example, the automated Rasmussen polls, which have tended to favor Romney, don’t contact voters on cell phones, which makes it harder to reach younger voters.

The Romney campaign has repeatedly pointed to the Rasmussen and the Gallup tracking polls in recent weeks to rebut the wave of state-level surveys that have shown Obama opening up a lead.

At a Sept. 18 fundraiser in Utah, Romney finance director Spencer Zwick touted Rasmussen’s numbers in the face of mounting data showing a grimmer picture. “We’re seeing the polls tighten in key states,” Zwick said. The day before, senior Romney strategist Stuart Stevens played down reports of campaign infighting by telling POLITICO that Rasmussen and Gallup told a reassuring story: “If [Obama’s] losing 4 points [in Gallup and Rasmussen] and that’s a good week, I’d hate to see a bad week.”

Obama has since ticked up in the Gallup tracking poll, to a lead in the mid-single digits, while Rasmussen continues to show a nearly deadlocked race.

What's happening is this: If Mitt's camp concedes that the polls are real, Republican voters may not feel their voting will be worthwhile...leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Clearly, Republican insiders are very nervous and don't like the direction of the polls. They are also nervous about the Intrade statistic of only 20-25% of winning. But, publicly they won't show their fear because it could set Mitt back further.

The Republican establishment is currently very supportive of Mitt, in general. However, this will all change IF he loses the election. At that point, he will fade away into Dukakis-ville. No one will support him then. In fact, there could be a backlash against Mitt by the Republican establishment given that he lost to Obama in a year in which it should have been a slam-dunk for anyone to beat Obama. The Republican establishment will move to focus on Ryan, who will be running in 4 years.

I actually went to Dick Morris's site, because it was touted on fox as being a reputable analysis of polling information, and was amazed to find that there is absolutely nothing on his site. He has a number of ads displaying a variety of books that he's pushing, a twitter account, and a variety of links to Newsmax and other sites; that's it, nothing about polling info or even any recent articles that he's written. The guy's a joke.

Kinda makes ya wander why these crackpots downplay urgency. Saying Romney is really leading makes one to believe there is nothing to do; it is in the “bag.” That’s a sure way to lose. Perhaps they want Romney to lose. After all, Limbaugh’s best business plan is having a Democrat in the Oval Office.

Unfortunately, many of us out-here in the former USA have concluded throuth extensive evaluation, study, discovery and conclusion that there's 'nothing' we can do to turn 'thing's 'round. OK, MSM got their way.. They're powerful controllin' practically every media outlet in groups' Seems the U.N. approach is to have "group think" therby eliminating the "individual". If you don't know this.. perhaps some motivation and a little labor will conclude it for you.

Why believe anyone who's lied to You in the past? Can anyone disagree with this?

He was 100% for You? This assumes you love the USA 1st though? SO do YOU?

I did my best against a bunch of deceivers.. Everything I could spending countless hours in research... Have YOU?

Who do You believe in? Do YOU love God?

NOPE FOLKS: I'll opt out of voting for either faster than you'd see me escape the throes of a vaccine?

Don't trust you anymore..No confidence..Zero help from the FCC.. A joke!

You've been took over..from inside.. Thanks to international bankers with tenacles that will lead to the time when X puts 'em in their place. Or He will just allow You the "Liberty to make up your own trail, but in the end, You'll not be able to bail-out to the side of right for you've made your bed on the other side.

O give 'em a way out will Ya.. OK, here it is......Ye've time to change and X is watching and He won't help You until you ask Him. They call Him the One and that's the best hope I've ever known to be.. be a possibility.. Then you realize that He is real.

Many can't see because they are not allowed to see..They can not hear but what they get. Some with the curiosity of brain-child W are never going to be curious..Wasn't that a real joke? I think it was.. What 'bout You?

MOTS V MOL - Ask yourself WHY American MSM choreographed this non-starting event? You should be concerned or merely just prepare for worst times..for they are behind the curtain.

Also in this parallel universe, the republican party is only 3 1/2 years old, not responsible for the 2008 economic meltdown, not responsible for 2 unpaid for wars, not responsible for converting a surplus into a deficit.